Rock climbing and plans for the rest of the year!

Went indoor rock climbing yesterday afternoon. It was the first time that I'd been climbing in the last 4 years, I think, and man, did it hurt. Physically, to know that you are not as physically strong as you used to be (and the day-after effects eg muscles feeling a tad strange and strained), and mentally, trying to push yourself but your body just won't listen. Also a slightly bruised ego :)

I would like to go climbing more regularly, though. And hopefully strengthen myself through that. Admittedly, it's not cheap. RM26 per day, which does not include rental of the equipment. Each piece of equipment, e.g. pair of shoes, harness, chalk bag etc, averages about RM5. So it does add up a fair bit. I had intended to start going for tap lessons after the Inter-firm games, but found someone who is an avid climber, and thought I'd take that up as well. But tap has been shelved for a bit, as has futsal, squash, a return to kickboxing, basketball and other higher impact sports for the time being, while I rest my seemingly bruised foot.

On Friday night, I caught up with 3 friends from high school, partly because one of them has finally got her American green card, and is finally able to move back to be with her husband. She claims that people keep asking her what married life is like, and her reply is that she has no idea, because they haven't lived together since they got married! But she finally will get the chance to experience it, and we are so happy for her, although it does mean that we will be losing another friend to the US of A and could potentially not see her for another 10 years! The great part about dinner was that the conversation was pretty good and easy, and we didn't spend too much time dwelling on the past, which is what can happen at some of these catch-ups with school mates. Don't get me wrong; memories are great, and it's ok to talk about them, as long as the whole night's conversation revolves around the past. Dinner was at a halal steamboat place, where everyone gets their own small pot to cook in, so Muslims and/or people who have qualms about communally-cooked food can still enjoy the camaraderie and the steamboat experience.

I have got to take a bit more control over my life, and I've decided to start by asking for a secondment into another department within my firm. I do not know whether I will want to move over permanently, but at least I am provided with the opportunity to experience something different. Who knows, it may convince me that the work I should stick to what I'm doing now; maybe not. With this, and the upcoming trip to Langkawi (of course, the upcoming public holidays in Malaysia are a plus point as well!), I have much to look forward to in the coming 2-3 months.